You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
NT. BASICS, PLEASE... WHAT STARTED YOU DRAWING?<br />
I’ve always been drawing - since as far back as I can<br />
remember, or any of my family can remember. It’s always<br />
been like it is now - just relentless. I never put a pen down;<br />
if the TV’s on, if I’m listening to music, on the Internet, I’ll be<br />
scribbling away.<br />
NT. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF STARTING A NEW<br />
PIECE?<br />
I sketch a ridiculous amount. I find it’s best just to let ideas<br />
flow non-stop and not over labour them. I have a massive<br />
sketchbook archive that I like to sit and flick through to see if<br />
there’s something in there that had a nice idea that I want to<br />
come back to, or that I could mesh with other elements from<br />
other sketches. I take in everything round me. I’m really overly<br />
observant, so generally there is no conscious starting point;<br />
it just floods out through development, thoughts circling my<br />
head and external factors.<br />
NT. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?<br />
Everywhere. A lot comes from music or overheard<br />
conversations, or even just sat having a coffee in town<br />
watching passers-by. It might be like, yeah, that dress is kind<br />
of cool how it just sits like that, or, I should draw headphones<br />
like that from now on. I’ve never taken much influence from<br />
art strangely enough. There are obviously artists whose work<br />
I do enjoy, but I try to not let that sway what I do. The biggest<br />
inspiration is just living life to the fullest and seeing what it<br />
brings.<br />
NT. TOOLS. WHAT DO YOU USE REGULARLY, AND WHAT’S YOUR<br />
FAVOURITE?<br />
I use whatever I have. I’m not a fussy drawer; biros, pencils<br />
and ink - anything for sketching. For painting I use spray<br />
paint, acrylic, ink and occasionally posca but only really for<br />
paper based work. And obviously on walls it’s emulsion and<br />
spray paint.<br />
NT. WHAT OTHER ARTISTIC MEDIA HAVE HAD AN EFFECT ON<br />
YOUR ART?<br />
Everything you see and take in will affect you in some way,<br />
sometimes in a positive way, sometimes negatively. I’d say<br />
sculpture affects my art. I always think of the piece like a<br />
sculpture: it has to balance or it will fall and crack.<br />
NT. HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DAYS?<br />
Being creative. I’m constantly drawing, playing instruments,<br />
playing capoeira, writing, out painting walls, or just<br />
experimenting with things round the house.<br />
But away from that it’s a normal steady life of spending time<br />
with my girlfriend, seeing friends, shooting pool, enjoying a<br />
beer, grabbing a coffee, seeing friends’ bands play. Much the<br />
same as anyone else, just much more frantic. I don’t sleep<br />
much so it’s easier to fit more into the precious time. I’m just<br />
blessed to be surrounded by great people who I love in a<br />
million different ways, and I love to spend as much time as I<br />
can with them; too often are they neglected in favour of ink<br />
and paint.<br />
NT. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?<br />
Working extremely slowly on a book, in talks with a few<br />
galleries abroad about going out to do some shows. No<br />
doubt I’ll be doing a lot more live art and travelling around to<br />
do it.<br />
I’m in quite an experimental phase at the moment where<br />
I’m being a lot more playful with what I do. But in the same<br />
respect giving it more to say for itself.<br />
NT. ANY TIPS ON HOW TO SURVIVE MAKING MONEY OFF YOUR<br />
ART? AND DO YOU FIND IT IMPORTANT?<br />
Set fire to those stalls in shopping centres with printed images<br />
on canvas - you and I aren’t going to see a penny ‘til they<br />
all lie in ash. But really, it’s just about getting out there, doing<br />
what you do. Money isn’t why people get into art, unless they<br />
are seriously deluded, and if you are only in it for money, then<br />
do the world a favour and stop now, no one wants to see it.<br />
Travel round, meet other artists, take the time to get back to<br />
all the emails; it’s great to get feedback from people and it<br />
always makes my day if I wake up to a nice message or two,<br />
so the least you can do is say thanks.<br />
NT. WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE IN ART?<br />
Collectives with manifestos. I just don’t see why you’d ever<br />
need to sit down and make a list of what you can and can’t<br />
do. It seems very limiting and unnecessary. I don’t like all<br />
this metaphorical nonsense, where you have to read the<br />
accompanying essay to understand it and then come to<br />
the same conclusion that it’s bullshit and you should have<br />
trusted your gut. I like art that immediately visually grabs me,<br />
then I can read into it, but the initial impression needs to be<br />
positive, not confusion or anger.<br />
NT. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE IN ART?<br />
Just that people are doing it. I’d slip into delirium so quickly<br />
without it. I love seeing new pieces on walls, when you turn<br />
a corner and bam! It’s there, larger than life, all colourful<br />
and wild. I love that I’ve been blessed this year to do some<br />
travelling round drawing or painting for people and at events.<br />
It puts a grin on my face when you meet artists you looked<br />
up to, and they come up and compliment your work and buy<br />
you a pint and stick round chatting. I’ve met some amazing<br />
people, made some amazing friends, seen some mad things,<br />
and it’s all been a total blessing.<br />
NT. GOOD ADVICE YOU WISH YOU’D BE TOLD EARLIER?<br />
Enjoy the ride, man. Don’t worry about getting big or<br />
anything, when does an artist ever really get big? You aren’t<br />
going to be hounded by the paparazzi, and be a big VIP;<br />
you’re an artist not a rock star. Unless you’re Banksy, but who’d<br />
want to be that? Ha ha, nah, fair play to him.<br />
Success aint going to be thrust on you. It’s like being single:<br />
you only meet someone when you’ve given up or don’t<br />
care, cos that’s when you relax and your true personality<br />
comes through, and that’s what people want to see in art<br />
- your honest, hand to god self, unadulterated, uncensored,<br />
uncompromised.<br />
And above all, just do it, man. Love every second of it. No one<br />
is unable to do art - I don’t like that attitude; it’s just practice,<br />
love and commitment. The human body is capable of so<br />
much - a few lines isn’t such a push. Oh, and don’t let people<br />
take the piss; people will assume they are doing you a favour<br />
by giving you ‘exposure’ and ‘helping your career’. That’s for<br />
you to decide, not them, and 95% of the time these people<br />
are trying it on and are total swine, but it’s up to you to sift<br />
through those messages and see what you think will be good<br />
for you. Don’t be afraid to tell anyone trying it on to go screw.<br />
Find your style, find your voice and share it with the world;<br />
people love to see new things, I know I do. Above all, just be<br />
straight with it, be humble, honest, positive and passionate<br />
with everything in life.<br />
matt jones<br />
speaking to<br />
NEIL PARKINSON.<br />
women158.<br />
INTRICATE SPRAYPAINT AND CANWORK DON SPEAKS TO NOWTHEN.<br />
PAGe twenty-five.